Skip to main content

tv   The Situation Room  CNN  April 23, 2013 2:00pm-4:00pm PDT

2:00 pm
"the situation room." wolf? thanks very much. happening now the condition of the surviving boston bombing suspect has been upgraded and a source says he is telling investigators who masterminded the attack. the brutal killing of one of tamerlan tsarnaev's best friends unsolved since 2011 is now being reviewed with a, quote, wider group of eyes. we'll show you a controlled explosion of a pressure cooker bomb as experts work to learn all they can about these cheap and deadly devices. i'm wolf blitzer in boston and you're in "the situation room." here in boston investigators are learning more about the suspects in last week's bloody massacres. here are the latest developments. a government official tells cnn the surviving suspect told
2:01 pm
investigators the wars in afghanistan and iraq were motivating factors in the attacks. a new hampshire fireworks store confirms tamerlan tsarnaev bought two reloadable mortar kits with 48 shells but law enforcement officials say it wasn't enough for explosions of the size that occurred in boston. an 8-year-old bombing victim martin richard was buried today after a private funeral mass. his parents issued a statement saying, and i'll read it to you, we laid our son martin to rest and he is now at peace. just minutes ago the sisters of the bombing suspects issued a statement through their attorneys and it reads as follows. i'll read it to you. our heart goes out to the victims of last week's bombing. it saddened us to see so many innocent people hurt after such a calloused act. as a family the statement adds we are absolutely devastated by
2:02 pm
the sense of loss and sorrow that has caused. we don't have any answers but look forward to a thorough investigation and hope to learn more. we ask the media to respect our privacy during this difficult time. the surviving boston bombing suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev is improving in a local hospital. that comes a day after a federal judge found him to be alert, mentally competent, and lucid at a bedside hearing. cnn's brooke baldwin is joining us now from beth israel deaconess medical center here in boston. brooke, what do we know about the suspect's health? >> reporter: wolf, we now know from the fbi and folks here at beth israel hospital here in boston that 19-year-old dzhokhar tsarnaev has been upgraded from serious condition now to fair condition. what does that mean? if you listen to our chief medical correspondent sanjay gupta he basically explains that means tsarnaev's vital signs have stabilized. things like heart pressure,
2:03 pm
blood pressure, and heart rate for example. we know he had an operation on saturday so a couple days out his condition has been improving which obviously is good news. that of course is predicated upon whether or not he decides to continue cooperating with investigators but also that his medical condition clearly helps in gleaning information out of him with regard to what happened last monday. but to quote sanjay gupta he is now officially out of the woods, wolf. >> brooke, you also had a chance today to speak to some veterans who are trying to help some of these survivors. what did they tell you? >> reporter: i tell you, these are amazing stories. you first hear the stories of the first responders who are running in to help some of these victims and now the stories of some wounded warriors. i talked to two guys today, i spent my morning at boston medical another great hospital in the city of boston and one separate and through an i.e.d. blast in afghanistan and the argan valley a couple years ago.
2:04 pm
he lost part of his leg and another gentleman steve chamberlain came up here because the mother-daughter duo recovering in one room, they wanted to come talk them through what life will be like without limbs. here he was. you lost your leg in an i.e.d. accident. how do you try to explain to these people who are still reeling that it is going to be okay? >> well, you know, you can only tell them what you've been through and i remember when i was in there in walter reid there were amputees there and they were giving me words of encouragement and stuff like that and it did help. at the same time she is going to go through her own healing process and there will be times when no matter what we can tell her or see what we do. until she experiences it for herself she'll have self-doubt at some point but seeing what other people can do and seeing what we do with our lives as amputees, you know, will give her that hope and when she gets down she'll be able to lean on that and go if they can do it
2:05 pm
eventually i will do it and she will. >> so some optimism from these veteran amputees today. i should mention, wolf, they were at boston medical visiting the mother/daughter duo, celeste and sidney corcoran. and today is sidney's 18th birthday. she initially suffered what they thought would be a fatal wounding from last monday's marathon attack. the two of them, it sounds like, will be okay. >> all right, brooke. thanks very much. brooke baldwin reporting from the hospital. meantime the fbi is very interested in speaking with the widow of dzhokhar tsarnaev's brother, tamerlan tsarnaev, to see if there is any way she might help. her attorney says, quote, she is doing everything she can to assist with the investigation. we'll go to rhode island, her hometown there with this part of the story. what's going on over there? >> reporter: wolf, katherine
2:06 pm
russell is back home now after heading out with her lawyer for several hours earlier today. her attorneys say that they have been speaking with federal investigators on her behalf but won't say whether she has spoken to investigators directly. tamerlan tsarnaev's widow hustled out of her parents' rhode island home tuesday. investigators want her help as they piece together the alleged boston bomber's plan. >> the reports of involvement by her husband and brother-in-law came as an absolute shock to them all. >> her attorney says katherine russell lived with tamerlan in a cramped, cambridge apartment. as authorities try to determine when and where he may have assembled the bombs, investigators want to find out what, if anything, she knows. >> she is doing everything she can to assist in the ongoing investigation. >> reporter: russell's attorneys say she didn't know anything. they say she last saw tamerlan
2:07 pm
before she went to work thursday, before the fbi released this video. they say she worked as a home health aide while tamerlan stayed home with the couple's young daughter. >> very outgoing and friendly. very smart. and very talented. >> reporter: that is the katie russell her high school art teacher remembers. he says she talked a lot about earning her college degree. are you surprised how her life has turned out so far? >> i was surprised to find out she had dropped out. i hadn't seen any indication of a particular interest in a lot of religion. >> reporter: russell was raised christian in suburban providence. she moved to boston for college, met tamerlan, and dropped out. attorneys say she converted to islam and was an observant muslim who wore the head scarf. sources close to the family say katie russell didn't speak russian so she didn't always understand what was being spoken around the house.
2:08 pm
the attorneys say she was out of that apartment for long stretches of time because she could be working sometimes six to seven days a week, sometimes up to 70 hours. wolf? >> chris lawrence in rhode island for us, thanks very much. authorities meanwhile are now taking a fresh look at the slaying of one of tamerlan tsarnaev's best friends, unsolved since september, 2011. three people were killed in waltham, massachusetts. all had their throats slashed. let's bring in our national correspondent deborah feyerick working the story for us. what are you learning about this? >> wolf, we can tell you a source is telling us a number of agents are now investigating the marathon bombing. they've now turned their attention to a grisly triple homicide committed about 18 months ago in waltham, massachusetts. the murder initially appeared to be drug related. the reason they're looking at it is because one of the victims was a very close friend of tamerlan tsarnaev.
2:09 pm
now, brendan mess and tsarnaev were sparring partners. they trained together at a mixed martial arts center in boston. brendan mess was brutally murdered in september of 2011 along with two other men. investigators at the time said the heads of the three victims were pulled back and their throats slit ear to ear with great force. marijuana was spread over the bodies according to a source in what is described as a symbolic gesture. thousands of dollars in cash were left behind at the crime scene. the district attorney originally stated it was not a random crime. the victims appeared to know their killers and that's killers plural suggesting it would have taken more than one person to overpower the men. remember, brendan mess was a mixed martial arts expert. a source said tamerlan tsarnaev is believed to be one of the last people to have seen his best friend. a source says there is no indication tamerlan was ever interviewed by police at all even to see if mess had any enemies. tamerlan left america three months later traveling to russia where he stayed for six months
2:10 pm
before returning to boston. the middlesex county da's office says they will, quote, review any new information that comes to light, unquote. wolf? >> is it just a coincidence according to investigators or are they suspicious about the killing that occurred, what, on the tenth anniversary specifically on 9/11? >> yeah. it occurred just at that time and that's what's fascinating also is that they can't understand why tsarnaev would never have been questioned in connection because the first thing you do is question people who knew the victim. so that's one thing they are looking into. but, also, the connection. the connection that you would have something again, we've been saying this for a while now, you have something that simply doesn't make sense and so you've got teams of investigators, each of whom are running down parts of tamerlan tsarnaev's life just to see how they fit together. this is one of those things, the
2:11 pm
fact that his best friend would be brutally murdered in the way he was killed and then tamerlan leave the country just a couple months later. they are looking at that closely. >> i'm sure they're looking at all aspects of this mystery as well. deb feyerick, thank you. the mother of the boston bombing suspects is now speaking out. you'll hear what she says about her sons. that's coming up. you'll also hear from the vice chairman of the senate intelligence committee, senator saxby chambliss joining us to talk about the bombing investigation. he's just left the hearing where the fbi behind closed doors has briefed the senators.
2:12 pm
welcnew york state, where cutting taxes for families and businesses is our business. we've reduced taxes and lowered costs to save businesses more than two billion dollars to grow jobs, cut middle class income taxes to the lowest rate in sixty years, and we're creating tax free zones for business startups. the new new york is working creating tens of thousands of new businesses, and we're just getting started. to grow or start your business visit thenewny.com would absolutely not have taken a zip line in the jungle. i'm really glad that girl stayed at home. vo: expedia helps 30 million travelers a month find what they're looking for. one traveler at a time. expedia. find yours.
2:13 pm
has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. ♪ [ male announcer ] every car we build must make adrenaline pump and pulses quicken. ♪ to help you not just stay alive... but feel alive. the c-class is no exception. it's a mercedes-benz, through and through. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services.
2:14 pm
[ female announcer ] from more efficient payments. ♪ to more efficient pick-ups. ♪ wireless is limitless. ♪ from tracking the bus. ♪ to tracking field conditions. ♪ wireless is limitless. these are new pictures we're getting showing the marathon makeshift memorials left near
2:15 pm
the scene of the bombings being moved into a park which is still behind police barricades. as of now we're told the park is expected to open in the next couple days. one of her sons is dead. the other lying wounded in a hospital accused of horrific bombing. but the mother, the mother of the tsarnaev brothers insists her sons are innocent. >> what happened is a terrible thing, but i know that my kids have nothing to do with this. i know it. i am mother. i -- you know, i know my kids. i know my kids. really, my kids would never get involved into anything like that. >> and what of the scrutiny of her elder son received from the fbi? listen to what she says. >> they were monitoring him and i know that because i used to
2:16 pm
talk to them. they used to come to our house and like two, three times and then my -- my tamerlan used to tell me that he used to talk to them, too. because they called me once and they wanted his number and then, well at such moments i used to get really worried because, you know, it is my kids and i his mother again. so and then when the agent called me back he said that, you know, i have spoken to your son and really got to understand that he's a really nice boy, you know, very intelligent, very like nice boy. it's just, do you think, he asked me, do you think that your tamerlan could get involved into some kind of -- because he's like a leader, you know, he's a strong boy -- and do you think he could get involved into kind of like any organization, you know like radical organization probably he was meaning.
2:17 pm
and at that time because they told me that they were, they controlled, they saw whatever he was reading. so i said, no, no. >> cnn by the way also caught up with the mother earlier today. that report coming up in our next hour. you'll be anxious to hear what else this mother has to say. meanwhile, officials are telling cnn that the surviving suspect is giving new details about why these two brothers carried out the attacks. joining us now republican senator saxby chambliss of georgia, the vice chairman of the senate intelligence committee. they just wrapped up a closed door briefing with the fbi. thanks very much for joining us. apparently this younger brother in the hospital is suggesting that the wars in afghanistan and iraq were motivating factors for these brothers to plant these bombs at the boston marathon. is that what you're hearing as
2:18 pm
well? >> well, wolf, i can't comment obviously on what the individual has said. the fbi will be giving whatever information they can about that but the fact of the matter is we've got all of the elements that indicates the involvement of these individuals. as for the why of it, that's going to be a very complex and comprehensive investigation. the fbi is going to be talking to not just these individuals, this individual, but other individuals who were acquainted with these two men to see what they can find out about their motive because i'll be honest, it is not clear even after the interview of the suspect in custody has been conducted it's still not clear exactly why they did this. >> can you tell us what you've learned about what the tsarnaev -- this 19-year-old has been saying at his bed side to
2:19 pm
investigators? >> well, they've been asking the obvious questions and our interrogators are very skilled. i can't get into the details of exactly what he has said, but i think it's pretty obvious the questions that they have asked and he has responded with mixed statements as well as mixed emotions about what took place and what did happen with the involvement of he and his brother. there are lots of inconsistencies the fbi has to ferret out. >> what does that mean, mixed emotions? >> well obviously you have a young man who is coming and going with respect to the sedation that he's been under and very traumatic experience for any 19-year-old and he's obviously shown some emotion about his involvement and the
2:20 pm
facts leading up to this taking place. we know from other statements from other people that he went back in the community after last monday and socialized with friends. i think that tells you something about this individual. and some of the emotions we might be seeing. >> are you saying that he is showing remorse at the hospital in the questioning or he's not showing any remorse? i wonder if you can elaborate on that. >> i don't think there's been any indication of remorse. >> has he bragged about what he and his brother did? >> i haven't been told that there's been any bragging on his part about the incident either, wolf. it's been matter of fact but you can't talk about what was done without showing some emotion.
2:21 pm
>> did he indicate that his older brother who is now dead actually masterminded the attack and that no international terrorist group was directly involved? >> that may or may not be the case. obviously we know the brother became more radicalized over the past several years and traveled to russia for about six months the first part of 2012. he was in an area where lots of bad guys stay and train. do we know that he was involved there shall the answer is clearly no at this point. those are the types of things that the fbi is spending time on today. they are doing a thorough investigation all over the world with anybody who had any contact with these two individuals to
2:22 pm
see if we can't determine if anybody was involved, were they inside the united states, outside. those are unanswered questions at this point in time. >> is there evidence that the brothers were radicalized through their preachings of anwar al awlaki the american born cleric killed in a u.s. drone strike and "inspire" magazine that has been circulating on the internet? >> there is a very clear indication they reviewed "inspire." as far as the influence of awlaki, again, i have not heard that at this point. that's one of the things that i'm sure the fbi is going to be looking closely into with respect to their websites, e-mails, those types of things. but "inspire" magazine is available over the internet and it is pretty clear they read that magazine and whether that is where they learned how to make the bombs, again, we don't
2:23 pm
know the answer to but, certain certainly, there are instructions in that journal that would tell you how to make bombs that are very similar to this. not exactly but similar to the ones that were used. >> i know you just emerged from a briefing with the fbi, a closed door briefing. did the fbi drop the ball a couple years ago when the russian authorities notified the u.s. that tamerlan tsarnaev was associating with islamic radi l radicals? was there a blunder there? >> i think the fbi did a very thorough investigation of tamerlan when they were notified by a foreign intelligence service and they went back and asked for additional information not once not twice but three times and got no further information on exactly why that agency thought this individual might be radicalized.
2:24 pm
the fbi did the usual things you would expect as far as investigating the individual and it was a pretty thorough check. everything turned up negative. they went to websites. they went to friends of the individuals. they went to their parents. so i think the fbi did a pretty thorough investigation. were there mistakes wolf, you w very much involved in the postw sharing of information and trying to break down some stove pipes that existed within the intelligence and the law enforcement communities. well, we may be seeing some of those stove pipes reerected here and we don't know that for sure but that's a part of our oversight authority and our oversight duty. we're trying to make sure that all of that information that was available was shared. if it wasn't, then there may be somebody who dropped the ball but that's not evident at this
2:25 pm
point in time. >> i know you and your colleagues on the senate intelligence committee are going to do a criminations necessarily but to make sure we all learn from what happened to avoid these kinds of potential mistakes down the row. thanks very much for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thanks. good to be with you. up next she was a dancer before she lost a foot in the boston bombing and she is vowing to dance again. our own anderson cooper will have the emotional story. >> i was right in front of it, right in front of the business where it was so i felt the direct impact and it immediately blew off my left foot. she's still the one for you -
2:26 pm
you know it even after all these years. but your erectile dysfunction - you know,that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. utll and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. f u take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.
2:27 pm
2:28 pm
2:29 pm
welcome back. i'm wolf blitzer in boston. happening now a dance instructor wounded in the boston blast vows to dance again and teach our own anderson cooper to dance with her though she no longer has a foot. a shock wave that can be felt from a quarter mile away. cnn shows you up close just how deadly a pressure cooker bomb can be in the hands of a terrorist. and the man accused of sending ricin tainted letters to president obama and other u.s. officials has just been released from federal custody. we're standing by for a live news conference of what's been going on. i'm wolf blitzer in boston and this is a special edition of
2:30 pm
"the situation room." she was a dancer before the blast here in boston and she vows to dance again even though she no longer has her foot. cnn's anderson coop ervice ited the bombing victim in the hospital along with her husband who was also injured and they spoke about her incredibly positive attitude. watch this. >> i hate to ask you to relive what you went through so if you don't want to that's totally fine. >> it's okay. i relive it every day. >> you think about it every day. >> absolutely. >> how close were you to the second explosion? >> i was right in front of it. right in front of the business where it was so i felt the direct impact and it immediately blew off my left foot. >> how far away was the bomb, do you know? >> my guess would have been about five feet.
2:31 pm
>> five feet. >> yeah. we're lucky to be alive. >> did you lose consciousness? >> i don't think we did. i remember everything so if we did it was for a matter of seconds. >> you remember being blown through the air. >> yeah. >> what happened then? >> i landed and sort of closed my eyes and was sort of under adam and covering my head and face. it was very gray and quiet, smoke and ashes and a lot of debris falling and i remember telling adam oh, my gosh i'm alive and he said, i'm okay. i'm okay. are you okay? my gosh. are you okay? i said i think we're okay an couldn't believe it. i couldn't believe we survived and we weren't hurt at all. and i didn't feel any pain. i had no idea what was, what had happened. and then i sat up and i tried -- he said we've got to get out of
2:32 pm
here or something like that. i sat up and tried to move and i said my gosh. my foot. there is something wrong with nigh foot. he lifted up my leg and we just lost it. adam had a lot of blood all over his pants. it was hard to tell his injuries and my injuries because of the amount of blood everywhere. but i know he was hurt as well. >> what did you do then when you realized what happened to your foot? >> it just -- went into survival mode. i went into, i've got to do something about this. i can't lose my foot. >> that was in your mind. >> yeah. i can't lose my foot. i've got to get it somewhere safe and clean and get something wrapped around it and then i grabbed the door open with my elbow and crawled in to forum dragging blood and asked for help and finally received it. got a couple people to do a turn kwet. adam was shortly behind me. i wanted to stay with him but my brain was just on i have to get
2:33 pm
to somewhere clean. i'm losing so much blood. >> when did you realize you didn't have a foot? >> i woke up and my parents were there and i hugged and kissed them and i said, mom, can you help me? i feel like my foot is falling asleep because it feels like my ankle is falling off of the pillow and my foot is half on. and i realized that now that was phantom pain because she looked at me and said, adrian, you don't have a foot. your foot is gone. i just lost it. it was really hard to hear. >> you are determined to dance again. >> i am. yeah. >> dancing is really important to you. >> it is so important to me. it's my life. >> what about it? >> dancing is the one thing i do that when i do it i don't feel like i should be doing anything else ever. i feel so free and so wonderful. i'm big on music and i feel like all of us when we hear music we
2:34 pm
kind of move to the music and i feel like -- >> i don't. i stay rock solid. such a bad dancer. >> we'll change that. i told you. i told you i'm going to teach you. >> i'd like that. >> i'd like that. i'm a tough student. >> that's okay. i'll hold you to that. it's on camera. but i feel like it's just such a freeing thing, such a big part of my life and part of my life, also, is being able to teach people how to do that so not only is it big in my life for me and outlet for me i get to share that and see it developing in other people. >> you want to run the race next year. >> i do. i can't believe i said that. adam's been making fun of me the whole time. he's like i can't believe you said that. you're not a runner at all you're not a runner. >> no. but i wasn't a ballroom dancer at one point either. something happens in your life where it's not exactly what you expected, you have to conquer that and you have to find the
2:35 pm
better side of it. it's not something that, i don't know. i don't want that to be the end. i don't want this to be the end. i'm only 32. i don't want this to be the end. whether it is, you know, running or walking or crawling the marathon or the last one across i'm okay with that. i didn't say i'd win it. i am defiant and i want to come out stronger. >> what a wonderful, wonderful woman and her husband. we of course wish her only the best. much more coming up from here in boston including the charges, the surviving bombing suspect now faces. we've just received some new information. we'll have that with you when we come back. also, a stunning twist in the case of a man accused of sending poison laced letters to the president of the united states and other u.s. officials.
2:36 pm
new information on that development as well. ♪
2:37 pm
2:38 pm
♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] this is a reason to look twice. this is a stunning work of technology. the 2013 lexus es and the first-ever es hybrid. this is the pursuit of perfection.
2:39 pm
we're getting some breaking news in the situation room about whether or not the state of massachusetts will file some charges in the boston bombings. cnn's ashleigh banfield has been working her sources here and elsewhere and is joining us on the phone right now. what do you know? >> wolf, working sources and getting right to the top of the chain i just came from the da of suffolk county who handles boston and asked him pointedly what is the plan for the investigation and any filing of state charges in the killings of these victims of the bombing and the m.i.f. officer? he was quite definitive. he said the state will not be pursuing any of the charges at this point. they are giving all of the
2:40 pm
investigation to the federal authorities at this point citing there are such robust statutes that are narrow enough and carry with them satisfactory penalties that there isn't the need for the redundancy on the state level. not only financial resources but man power. they are sharing their resources and fedding any requests that are needed for their local resources as well but at this point they do reserve the right to react investigaivate and bri state charges if there is a need. i asked what that need could be and the da said say for instance there was a coconspirator discovered, weapons charges of some kind. we could reactivate and get involved and charge locally but at this point as far as murder goes certainly they are feeding it to the federal authorities. >> ashleigh, thanks very much, the very latest from authorities
2:41 pm
here in massachusetts. just ahead the man accused of sending a poison laced letter to president obama suddenly released. we're learning, about to learn why. we're standing by for a live news conference on that event. and ahead as well we'll show you a controlled exploson of a pressure cooker bomb as experts work to learn all they can about these cheap and deadly devices. [ tires screech ] [ beeping ] ♪ [ male announcer ] we don't just certify our pre-owned vehicles. we inspect, analyze and recondition each one, until it's nothing short of a genuine certified pre-owned... mercedes-benz for the next new owner. ♪ hurry in to your authorized mercedes-benz dealer
2:42 pm
for 1.99% financing during our certified pre-owned sales event through april 30th. it begins with your skin. venus & olay -- gently exfoliates with 5 blades. plus olay moisture bars help renew goddess skin. only from venus & olay. ...amelia... neil and buzz: for teaching us that you can't create the future... by clinging to the past. and with that: you're history. instead of looking behind... delta is looking beyond. 80 thousand of us investing billions... in everything from the best experiences below... to the finest comforts above. we're not simply saluting history... we're making it. how old is the oldest person you've known? we gave people a sticker and had them show us. we learned a lot of us have known someone
2:43 pm
who's lived well into their 90s. and that's a great thing. but even though we're living longer, one thing that hasn't changed: the official retirement age. ♪ the question is how do you make sure you have the money you need to enjoy all of these years. ♪
2:44 pm
a shocking twist in the case of the mississippi man accused of sending president obama and other u.s. officials ricin
2:45 pm
tainted letters. his attorney now saying he has been released from custody. we're awaiting a live news conference. we'll have live coverage of that but first cnn white house correspondent dan lothian is joining us with the latest. what do we know right now? >> wolf, this is a stunning development in the case where the government insisted the suspect posed a threat to the public. well now he is out on bond as we wait to learn what move prosecutors will make next. was this mississippi man accused of sending a threatening letter to a president, senator, and judge set up? his lawyer thinks so. >> i do believe that someone who was familiar and is familiar with kevin just simply took his personal information and did this to him. kevin curtis is absolutely 100% innocent. >> the case against the man the government considered a threat to the public may be falling apart. a preliminary hearing for
2:46 pm
45-year-old paul curtis was abruptly canceled with no explanation. a short time later he is released on bond. curtis and his legal team have maintained his innocence from the start. >> at this point the evidence is lacking. it is not there. any time you have information over the internet or facebook you have millions of people that can access that and that's what they have. there's just no evidence. >> a law enforcement source tells cnn they are looking into whether someone tried to implicate curtis in the suspicious letters. curtis is known around his community in core instininth ass impersonator. >> he entertained at a party my wife and i helped give for a young couple that was getting married. it was quite entertaining. >> so at this point everything is on hold. his attorneys who plan to hold a press conference as you point out in the next hour say the
2:47 pm
charges have not been dropped. the case has not been dismissed but they feel better about their case today than they did yesterday. wolf? >> what a mystery unfolding. we'll have live coverage of that news conference. these ricin letters sent to the president and the senator who is behind it. are there others out there? we'll have live coverage. you see the microphone is already set up in mississippi. up next we'll show you in slow motion and up close just how powerful a pressure cooker bomb can be.
2:48 pm
2:49 pm
2:50 pm
2:51 pm
a pressure cooker bomb like the devastating devices here in boston certainly can be built for under $100. cnn commissioned experts have a testing facility in new mexico to build and detonate one. the idea is to learn how these devices work, and possibly how to prevent them from doing so much harm. here's cnn's david mattingly. >> reporter: at this remote desert testing ground, experts from new mexico tech replicate and explode bombs used by terrorists. on this day, there's a sense of urgency. >> after boston, what are you worried about? could this be the future of domestic terrorism? >> you're always worried about copycats. more and more people, are they going to be using this. >> caller: this is a pressure cooker bomb, similar to the bombs in boston, and were about to set it off. in the wrong hands we already know how deadly this bomb can be, and we're not taking any
2:52 pm
chances. >> for safety reasons we've had to retreat to the mountain top here. we're now over a quarter of a mile away from where we left that pressure cooker. >> reporter: but that's still not far enough to avoid flying shrapnel. so we're watching from inside a bunker. >> five, four, three, two, one! >> reporter: wow. that white smoke looks just like what we saw in boston. i could feel it all the way up here. >> oh, yeah. that shock wave will travel all the way. >> reporter: but down below -- >> we're looking for fragments. >> reporter: one bomb turned into thousands of weapons, scattered more than a hundred yards. this was part of the pressure cooker, now mangled and razor sharp. >> no wonder so many people got hurt. >> reporter: instead of nails, we filled the pot with nuts from a hardware show. they pierced plywood, some even melted from the heat. look at the back of it. how fast were these things
2:53 pm
moving when they went out of here? >> they can travel 1,000, 2,000 feet a second. they'll actually get in front of the shock wave before the pressure wave does. >> reporter: you're hit before you even hear it. >> that's right. >> reporter: here's what the blast looks like using a high-speed camera. an intense ball of fire, less than 20 feet across. but watch the white rings on the desert floor. that's the shock wave. engineers studying this blast say there's a lesson in here for first responders. let's say i'm a first responder. what do i need to beware of? >> there's a lot of shrapnel around, very hot, very sharp. you could easily cut yourself. there could be unexploded ordnance that didn't explode when it was supposed to. that could go off at any time. >> reporter: for potential bystanders out of this demonstration, there are only words of caution. by the time you hear the boom, you could already be hit.
2:54 pm
awareness of your surroundings could be the only defense. what we learned from this is that these devices are crude, they're cheaply made, and they're made for two reasons only, wolf, and that is to spread terror and to kill. >> to kill and maim as many people as possible. >> that's right. that device that you saw, because it was on the ground just like the one here in boston, when that shrapnel came flying out, it was all at knee level for quite a distance. so the people close to that, that's where they were getting their injuries, that's what we saw here. >> pretty scary. thanks very much for that report. eye opening. frightening indeed. david mattingly reporting for us. appreciate it. we're standing by now, not for one, but two live news conferences. we just learned the boston police department is going to be briefing all of us on the boston -- the 19-year-old surviving suspect in this case. there's new information coming in. you're looking at live pictures from the boston police department.
2:55 pm
also, that live news conference from mississippi on the ricin-laced letters sent to president obama. and senator roger wicker of mississippi. that's mississippi over there. boston and mississippi, we're following live developments. stay with us. ♪
2:56 pm
(train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. welcnew york state, where cutting taxes for families and businesses is our business. we've reduced taxes and lowered costs to save businesses more than two billion dollars to grow jobs, cut middle class income taxes to the lowest rate in sixty years, and we're creating tax free zones for business startups. the new new york is working creating tens of thousands of new businesses, and we're just getting started. to grow or start your business visit thenewny.com
2:57 pm
...and we inspected his brakes for free. -free is good. -free is very good. [ male announcer ] now get 50% off brake pads and shoes at meineke.
2:58 pm
we're standing by for live coverage of two news conferences. on the left, they're getting ready for a news conference in boston. boston police holding a news conference for what they described as the takedown of the 19-year-old boston suspect. and the ricin letters sent to the president and a senator. we'll have live coverage of both. stand by. lots of news happening right now, right here in "the situation room." meanwhile, other news we're following, including new claims that syria is using chemical weapons against rebel forces. lisa sylvester is monitoring that, some of the other top stories in "the situation room" right now. >> hi, wolf. an israeli defense official said in all likelihood the syrian regime has used sarin gas on
2:59 pm
several people. people were foaming from the mouth. israel's defense minister said the red line hasn't been tested yet. the pentagon is assessing those reports but reiterated the use of those weapons would be entirely unacceptable. airline passengers are beginning to feel the forced budget cuts. we're seeing a surge in flight delays as air traffic controllers take forced unpaid time off. furloughs kicked in sunday for nearly 50,000 employees. the faa is required to cut $637 million from its budget by the end of september. and at least another inch of rain is expected today in parts of an already flood-ravaged midwest. at least six rivers in northern illinois have surged to record levels and thousands of residents have been displaced. the governor declared 44 counties disaster areas. missouri's governor has also declared a state of emergency.
3:00 pm
and some momentary shock today after this a.p. tweet was posted, claiming, quote, two explosions in the white house and barack obama is injured. it turns out that the a.p. account was hacked and the erroneous tweet was taken down minutes later. the dow plunged more than 100 points on the news but quickly regained the losses once it was deemed false. a group known as the syrian electronic army has claimed responsibility for this tweet. an fbi spokesperson tells cnn the fbi is now investigating that hack. wolf? >> lisa sylvester, thanks very >> lisa sylvester, thanks very much. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com new images of the shootout between tsarnaev, the two brothers, and the police. we'll hear from a man who saw it
3:01 pm
all go down. and the how-to manual for building the boston bombs. did al qaeda have an indirect influence on this deadly act of terror. i'm wolf blitzer in boston. we want to welcome our viewers from around the united states and around the world. you're in "the situation room." looking at live pictures, boston police headquarters. they're getting ready for a news conference. they're going to give us new information on what they describe as the takedown of the 19-year-old bombing suspect. we'll hear from boston police superintendent william evans. lieutenant detective robert mirner. lieutenant paul o'connor. they're getting ready for this news conference. we're going to have live coverage of it. we're anxious to hear what they have to say. they're getting ready to make some announcements, i believe they're there right now. if they're ready to begin, let's
3:02 pm
listen in. this is boston police, updating us on the -- what they describe as the takedown of the 19-year-old bombing suspect who's in a boston hospital right now. let's listen in. >> good evening, everyone. i'm superintendent evans. on behalf of the police department, you know, obviously we were very proud of our efforts from the beginning, at the marathon site when we had such a terrible tragedy. obviously our hearts and prayers still go out to the victims. you know, martin richards, the 8-year-old, the two young females killed, and officer collier who lost his life. to begin things, obviously, our hearts and prayers still go out to the families and the victims in that case. because of such an incident and the tragedy, throughout this incident, you know, we had the
3:03 pm
motivation and the desire to apprehend whoever was responsible for not only the bombings, but also for sort of wreaking havoc on the city of boston. all three of us have run the boston marathon. we know how special that day is. it's probably the best day in the city of boston. and for anyone to attack the city the way they did, you know, we all took it personal. and i think that's the motivation that kept us going throughout this event. for monday on, when you'd seen officers running to the bomb site, and helping people and giving first aid, we never, never let up our desire to catch who was responsible here. and i think you were seeing that right up until friday evening.
3:04 pm
we were out there from 1:00 in the morning until 6:45 when we were very fortunate to have a resident go into the back of his home and find someone bloody in the boat in the back of his house. we had been in the neighborhood all day long. we were getting tips all day long. the boston police officers and our partners were chasing calls all day long. come 6:00 at night, we were pretty tired. we were going to multiple calls throughout the day, and just at 6:00, when the ban was removed, we continued to search. i contacted one of my captains, captain john davan, to see how
3:05 pm
the progress of our search was going, he indicated to me, boss, i need 15 more minutes to cover the streets that i've been assigned. so with me at that time was lieutenant mirner, lieutenant o'connor. so the boston police continued to search while some of the -- you know, well after the governor had removed the ban. so our problem at that time is residents were coming out. and the officers were asking, how shall we deal with the residents? and we made it clear, as courteous and as professional as possible, yet getting the job done. so 15 minutes went by. i called captain john davan in charge of one of the quad drons, and said, john, how are you doing? he said, boss, give me five more minutes. we were standing at the corp co of the original site.
3:06 pm
the officers were still out there searching. and we heard that the call come in, and he told us -- he didn't call us, he heard him say we got a call from a man in the back of his yard in a boat. at that time, we hopped out of the car, and we all got into the driveway, and we set up a perimeter around that boat. and that's how we got to the scene. >> were there shots fired when you entered the driveway? >> no, there wasn't shots fired when we entered the driveway. again, we secured the perimeter around the boat. you know, at one point, you know, i was calling out that we had plenty of help. i didn't need any more help. obviously that was quite a highly stressed type situation,
3:07 pm
where we had all kinds of help running in when they were hearing us on the radio. but i continued to stress, we're all set, all we need is a tactical team to come in. we were holding the scene. because with any hostage situation, or crisis situation, time is on our side. we can wait this fellow out. you know, our goal is to bring in a negotiator, bring in a tactical team and try to bring him out safely without anyone being injured. during that time, shots rang out. from behind the house. we were holding the perimeter in the front of the house. at that time shots rang out. multiple shots. and at that point, again, i was screaming for everyone to hold their fire at that point, just to calm the situation down. and at that point, we were in a holding scenario, where we were waiting for tactical teams to come in, which i had originally called for.
3:08 pm
>> how many of there were you when you were waiting for the tactical team to come when you heard those shots? >> when we originally started, the three of us, one -- >> can you go over to the microphone? >> there was three of us, one watertown police detective, and then additional officers came from various agencies. a sergeant pr brookline, officers from various agencies and then the massachusetts state police. we had enough officers on the perimeter. lieutenant o'connor and i quickly set up officers in strategic positions along the perimeter, as the superintendent took control of the entire incident. >> were you worried they were coming from within that boat? >> there's always a possibility. just that there were shots coming from the boat. and my thoughts was the safety of the officers and the citizens that were still in the area. >> were the shots coming from the boat? >> that's part of the investigation.
3:09 pm
>> did you have anything to do with the shots that were being fired? >> no. >> was it a shootout at the boat? >> again, that's under investigation. you know, as soon as we had gotten there, we detected movement in the boat. we could see a hand up, poking at the top. whether they were trying to, you know, poke a hole in the top, or if they had a handgun, we weren't sure. you know, but clearly from everybody's vantage point, we could see whoever was in that boat was poking at that top. and so, you know, that's, again, when we got there, we clearly knew that there was movement in the boat. sometime after this, probably 10 or 15 minutes after, the state police brought in a helicopter, and they were very helpful as far as the positioning of the boat -- the body on the boat. but within a few minutes, we
3:10 pm
knew we had someone in the boat. >> whose shots were fired before the helicopter came in? >> i believe so, yes. within the first five or ten minutes, those shots pretty much were fired. basically, like i said, it wasn't long before we were there, that we could see the movement in the boat. >> once the boat and the perimeter had been sealed off, or was it outside of the perimeter? >> i believe at this time it was inside the 20-block perimeter. >> was that boat ever searched? >> not to my knowledge. again, different agencies were assigned different quadrants. you know what i mean? we had certain quadrants, other agencies had other quadrants. i don't honestly don't know whose quadrant that was. the problem you have, in a
3:11 pm
situation like that, is you get so many units coming to a scene, that sometimes it's very difficult to get the assets in that you want. we did have problems that night. there were so many officers coming, once they heard the call, that unfortunately, some of the egress to that location as far as getting the tactical team, it was a little bit of a delay. when we were able to move some of the assets, we got them in. probably, what, well, 20 minutes or so. probably 20 minutes. >> when you set up your staging area, until backup comes in, how do you know you're safe if he were to have a suicide vest? how do you make that determination and how were you feeling at that time when you were -- >> well, we had taken cover. you know, we were in the driveway. i was right in front of the house. officers o'connor and bobby here, they were behind cover. so we had cover. i thought we were well protected. our biggest concern, obviously,
3:12 pm
was the safety of officers. when you have so many officers show up like that, worry about crossfire. that's one of the reasons why, when we had a dozen or so officers around the perimeter, we had officers who evacuated the houses nearby and officers up on the second floor of both adjacent houses. we had great sight in cover on what we had in the boat. it was just a matter of holding until we get the tactical team to come in, and try to negotiate him out. >> who made the decision the hour before to lift the shelter order? was that a wrong decision? >> i don't want to comment on that. we continued to search out there. we had our quadrants. my captains weren't happy with the fact they hadn't finished their quadrants. i know from being a commander of the boston police on the ground, we weren't going to leave until we had finished our job. >> was that your quadrant?
3:13 pm
whose quadrant was it that the boat actually was? >> again, i can't comment on that. all i know is, we were out there. captain davan, deputy oar rou'r and deply lighting in the back. they were doing their quadrants. we just knew we hadn't finished ours and we weren't satisfied leaving until we basically had done what we set out to do. and just remember, i think, you know, we were driven by the tragedy. we all were. and it really impacted us, seeing a lot of us witness what happened there on boylston. and a lot of us throughout the week worked 16 to 20 hours a day. nobody complained. we had a mission. we wanted to catch this guy for what he did. not only to the poor victims, but what he did to our marathon and what he did to our city. and that was the motivation, that when others might have been
3:14 pm
calling it a day, we weren't calling it a day. >> [ inaudible ]? >> oh, he knew. there was a lot of chatter outside. you know, everyone was yelling for help. everyone's yelling to set up the perimeter. so, you know, it's pretty clear, i think he knew we were there. >> we initiated the negotiations first. >> what was said? >> i don't know. again, you know, as we moved along here, and once things settled down, the fbi hostage recovery team came in and took over. together, with myself, and lieutenant mirner and o'connor, myself as the commander, we worked with the fbi recovery team. as anyone who knows them, they're probably the best in the nation. and we -- you know, they
3:15 pm
dictated the tactics they were going to use. throughout the process they advised us what was going to happen. and it was the fbi hostage recovery team that went in and started the negotiations. >> two questions left, please. >> was he armed? >> to my knowledge, that's still under investigation. >> how did he get out of the boat? was he lifted out? >> he followed the instructions of the negotiators. that's part of the negotiation, basically instructing him exactly what he is to do, how he is to surrender, and he was brought into custody. he followed the instructions of the negotiator. >> you were the guys that helped him? >> no. just so you understand, all right, we handled the command of the overall. we directed the resources to the scene. the fbi hostage response team went in. they're the ones who drew the flash bang. they're the ones, throughout their process, that sort of
3:16 pm
handled the tactical. they went in and symbolically, they let the nbta put the cuffs on the suspect. because of their fellow officer who i'm happy to report is doing much better. which makes us, again, as a law enforcement community, feel great that, number one, we got the guy, but also that the mbta officer is doing much better. we reached out and symbolically after the fbi team had had him, symbolically we let the mbta put the handcuffs on. >> did he say anything? >> again, the fbi took over the investigation. they're the ones who speak to him. our job was over. he was in custody. he was -- you know, the fbi took control of the investigation. at that point, you know, our main concern was that all our officers were safe, and we cleared out of the area.
3:17 pm
so at that point the fbi took custody, our part ended up. all we're doing now is guiardin the hospital, with both the fbi, as well as state police. >> last question right here, sir. last question right here, please. >> at that point did you at any point think that you may not find him? >> like i said, all of our officers were out there, again, from 1:00 in the morning. all right? we were walking around all day long. so we were all tired. thank god -- and i have to really reach out to the watertown residents. they were great. you know, our officers had to use bathrooms, we were getting offered food. i can't say enough about the cooperation of the residents of watertown. but, you know, we walked, we walked, and our officers as tired as they were, they
3:18 pm
continued until they were satisfied that what they were assigned to search was completed. >> did you think he had left the perimeter at that point? >> we were frustrated. but, you know what? when we got him, i remember there was no greater feeling in the world. right away we all started hugging each other. because we had gone through a lot the whole week, if you think of it. a lot of us seeing the terrible -- you know, the terrible sights on boylston street. a lot of us, 20-hour days. then we had president obama coming to town, which, you know, we had to handle. and then on the night after handling that, we were all out just after midnight. so we all had a rough week. we were all really emotionally attached to what happened here. so the amount of satisfaction, as well as, you know, pride we had, especially myself, on behalf of the commissioner and the chief, of the job the boston
3:19 pm
police department did. all our officers were out there all week. we didn't hear one complaint. and i can't say how much pride i have that -- it was a great feeling that, not only did the tragedy happen on us, but we were responsible for the ultimate arrest. so, you know, that was great closure for us. i'm glad, you know, we happened to be right there when the call came in, and actually we took control of that scene, that ended up in the capture of this suspect. >> thank you. we're good. we're going to close on that note. thank you for coming. we appreciate it. >> thank you, everybody. >> thank you for coming. appreciate it. >> all right. >> that's the boston police superintendent, william evans, wrapping up, going into excellent detail on the final capture of this 19-year-old suspect, who remains over at the
3:20 pm
beth israel deaconess medical center. his condition has slightly improved today. going through step by step by step how boston police with watertown police, fbi, all of them combined to eventually, in their words, take down the 19-year-old bombing suspect. let's not forget what this is all about. there were four people who were killed as a result of the allegations against these four. and there are the pictures. little 8-year-old martin richard, certainly we want to remember him. krystle campbell, 29 years old. 23-year-old lingzi lu, the graduate student at boston university from china. and the m.i.t. police officer, sean collier, 26 years old. and more than 250 other people were injured as a result of those bombs. ashley banfield is here. we're getting some new information, ashleigh.
3:21 pm
i know you're getting why ur sources. what are you hearing what's going on? >> one of the more fascinating developments i learned today, this comes straight from the top, from the district attorney of suffolk county that represents boston, has told me in the next couple of days, wolf, they're likely going to be moving the suspect and actually taking him from the beth israel deaconess hospital. there is a possibility he will be taken to another hospital. i'm told that there has been a lot of consternation because many of the victims who are being treated there, at one point i believe there were about 11 at the beth israel. many of the family members of those who were injured are understandably quite upset they're at the same facility where the suspect is being treated as well, the defendant i think we can now call him quite fairly, where he's being treated as well. there is a great possibility in the next few days, according to the d.a., he could be transferred to another medical facility. then after that, you know, his lawyer did not even discuss the options of bail at that very quick first appearance hearing bedside in the hospital.
3:22 pm
but he did reserve it right, without prejudice, to be able to revisit the bail option again. the district attorney in this area said it is highly unlikely. that isn't a surprise to anyone that this person was on the lam for a week, would never get bail. so in the interim, by the way, the d.a. believes a trial could happen within one year to 18 months. a ballpark guess. in the interim he would be housed at the facility, the massachusetts correctional institute at plymouth. that's about 40 miles south of here. that's a state facility, wolf. but they do house federal prisoners. not only those serving sentences for a short time but also those held pending trial. >> and presumably, is there like a hospital facility there at that correctional facility? >> what i'm told about the medical facilities there, they can't handle the necessity of acute care, which is what this particular defendant has been
3:23 pm
undergoing. but when dzhokhar tsarnaev is deemed doctors are completed caring for him, he will not be moved to the correctional institute if he still requires acute care. that's what they're discussing at this possibility, this option of moving him away from beth israel. imagine if you're the family members and you know that he's sharing the same facility. one other quick thing i want to mention as well, and that is that when i asked the d.a., who is now deciding not to pursue the state charges for the bombing victims, not necessarily for the m.i.t. officer, sean collier, that could still come from the middlesex d.a., when i asked him if he were pursuing this case like the feds are, what would he feel about the mountain of evidence that has been accumulated thus far, still understanding there is more evidence to ebb developed, he said, i believe this would be an extremely easy case to prosecute, notwithstanding any comments that could be made bedside. i believe with the evidence they have now, this could result in an easy conviction.
3:24 pm
>> ashleigh banfield, doing good reporting for us. thanks very much. up next, there are also dramatic developments in the case of a man accused of sending poisoned letters to the president and to a united states senator. he's speaking out and we now know why this so-called elvis impersonator has now been released from jail. >> i have no clue why i'm there. tony used priceline to book this 4 star hotel. tell 'em why. free breakfast with express deals, you can save big and find a hotel with free breakfast without bidding.
3:25 pm
don't you just love those little cereal boxes? priceline savings without the bidding. have hail damage to both their cars. ted ted is trying to get a hold of his insurance agent. maxwell is not. he's on geico.com setting up an appointment with an adjuster. ted is now on hold with his insurance company. maxwell is not and just confirmed a 5:30 time for tuesday. ted, is still waiting. yes! maxwell is out and about... with ted's now ex-girlfriend. wheeeee! whoo! later ted! online claims appointments. just a click away on geico.com. how sharp is your business security?o! can it help protect your people and property, while keeping out threats to your operations? it's not working! yes it is. welcome to tyco integrated security. with world-class monitoring centers and thousands of qualified technicians. we've got a personal passion to help your business run safer,
3:26 pm
smarter, and sharper. we are tyco integrated security. and we are sharper. thto fight chronic. osteoarthritis pain. to fight chronic low back pain. to take action. to take the next step. today, you will know you did something for your pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a pain reliever fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have
3:27 pm
high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. take the next step. talk to your doctor. cymbalta can help. more breaking news coming into "the situation room" right now. weaver just learning that charges against the man accused of sending ricin tainted letters to president obama and other u.s. officials, those charges have just been dropped. he was released from custody today. paul kevin curtis spoke to reporters just a few minutes ago. >> the last seven days, staring at four gray walls, like greene
3:28 pm
grass of home, not really knowing what's happening. not having a clue why i'm there. just being in a state of overwhelming is the best way i can describe it. when you've been charged with something, and you never heard of ricin, or whatever. i thought they said rice. i said, i don't even eat rice. it's a learning experience for me, and for my family. >> i would like to thank all my family, friends and fans for their love and support over this past week. but most importantly i would like to thank jesus christ who has been and will always be my best friend, my bodyguard, my teacher and almighty judge, divine intervention led this amazing beautiful blond, blue-eyed angel to my jail cell. through my daughter and a connection with her friend, and like i've always said, my daughter has a direct link to jesus. he listens to her, listens to
3:29 pm
her prayers. she said she knew she had to do something. to my rescue she came. for the first time in 13 years, i have had real representation from an attorney at law. i'll be honest, i haven't had a lot of faith in attorneys. i've went through 20 or so in the last 13 years. and i will never let you go. that came from the heart. i didn't write that. i want to also thank senator roger wicker for his kind words about me in the press, and for the record, i have always felt that he is a good and honest man. i respect president obama. i love my country. and would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other u.s. official. this past week has been a nightmare for myself and my family. my mother has suffered. as well as my children. i would like to get back to normal, which for me means being the best father that i can be to
3:30 pm
my children, supporting my favorite charity save a life foundation and entertaining through my music. thank you. >> paul kevin curtis, released from custody, charges dropped. there's still plenty of stuff we don't know about what happened. dan lothian, our white house correspondent, is standing by. dan, we do know that ricin-laced letters were spent to the president, to roger wicker, the republican senator from mississippi. potentially very deadly letters. where does this investigation go from now on? >> you know, that is a very good question, because from the very beginning, paul curtis and his attorneys had said he was innocent. they said there was a lot of information out there in social media that someone used to frame him. they maintained that right to the end. then we started seeing earlier today that the government's case was starting to fall apart, if you will, because there was in the third day of a preliminary hearing, they abruptly canceled
3:31 pm
those proceedings. and shortly thereafter, paul curtis was released on bond. and then we started to get a sense that perhaps, you know, investigators were starting to look in a different direction. not a lot of details from u.s. authorities as to what exactly was behind all of this. we did get an order for dismissal, where they talked about dismissing the case against paul curtis. and in that order they pointed out that an ongoing investigation has revealed new information. so clearly, they have gotten new information that is pointing them in a different direction, that allowed them to come to the conclusion that paul curtis -- charges against paul curtis should be dismissed. we're waiting to find out what prosecutors will say next in terms of who they are looking for, and if additional charges will be filed, wolf. >> dan lothian, thanks very much for that report. it's now the bottom of the hour. let's bring you the latest developments unfolding here in boston, on the bombing investigation.
3:32 pm
we're told that dzhokhar tsarnaev is giving investigators more information about why he and his brother allegedly carried out the bombing attacks. a u.s. government official said tsarnaev said iraq has been a motivating fact. he may share more vital information as his health improves. his condition actually has been upgraded today from serious to fair. in an outpouring of support for the dead and the wounded, boston's mayor said $20 million have been raised so far to help the bombing victims and their families. there's still a lot investigators don't know after the early questioning of dzhokhar tsarnaev. we're told he's portraying his dead brother ars the mastermind of the attack who embraced the call to wage islamic holy war. brian todd is here with me in boston. and you're learning more about what's going on as well.
3:33 pm
but the relationship, the connection between these two brothers, among other things. >> the two brothers and what may have radicalized them, wolf. officials telling us that dzhokhar tsarnaev saying no one else involved in the attacks. and self-radicalization especially with the older brother, tamerlan. but what triggered that, the answers are still elusive. a u.s. government official says the wars in afghanistan and iraq have been cited by suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev as motivating factors in the boston marathon bombings. investigators still have to determine if that information is accurate. tsarnaev has already told investigators they acted alone. that his older brother, tamerlan, was the driving force behind the attacks. motivated by jihadist thought defending islam. but how did tamerlan tsarnaev become radicalized. u.s. government sources say the younger brothers told authorities there was an online component to the radicalization, watching videos. a government official said the
3:34 pm
preachings of anwar al awacky was likely to have been among those videos. but was there someone else involved in the older brother's radicalization. his uncle implies there was someone who had sway over him. >> i know some guy who became tamerlan's friend who completely took his brains away. >> reporter: it's not clear who that is. as to when, the uncle said he noticed his older nephew's radicalization as far back as 2009. a key question? where did any radicalization of tamerlan tsarnaev occur? we know he went to dag as stan last month. but it's not clear if it occurred there. did it happen here at the mosque in cambridge that he attended, where he had two well-known outbursts? we came here to put that to mosque leaders. those leaders say in those outbursts, tame lan tsarnaev blasted them for what he said was their mod ral theology.
3:35 pm
they said if he did it again, he would be cut off. >> what's clear from what these two incidences is that the radicalization didn't happen here. you know, at the center. if it did happen, because we're still learning so much about this case, you know, getting different accounts. >> reporter: maybe the most puzzling question, why? what triggered tamerlan's cad ralization? luis vasquez who befriended him said he last saw tamerlan three years ago. when i asked why his friend drifted to radical islam -- >> the only thing i can think of, i only want to say what i'm sure of, that one of the sources of this could have been some kind of dissatisfaction of the bad, slow transition to coming to another country from a different one, as a teenager. that's never easy. >> vasquez now shares the sentments of those at the mosque, perplexed as to why the
3:36 pm
man they knew drifted in that direction, and angry he did it. >> lots of unanswered questions. brian todd, thanks very much. one bostonian that was uncomfortably close to tsarnaev's gun fight with the police tells his story to cnn. a bullet went right through his roommate's desk chair. plus, another dramatic cnn interview with the mother of the bombing suspects, who insists they were framed. [ male announcer ] if she keeps serving up sneezes...
3:37 pm
[ sneezing ] she may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec®. powerful allergy relief for adults and kids six years and older. zyrtec®. love the air. and kids six years and older. welcnew york state, where cutting taxes for families and businesses is our business. we've reduced taxes and lowered costs to save businesses more than two billion dollars to grow jobs, cut middle class income taxes to the lowest rate in sixty years, and we're creating tax free zones for business startups. the new new york is working creating tens of thousands of new businesses, and we're just getting started. to grow or start your business visit thenewny.com
3:38 pm
3:39 pm
a man who witnessed the first gun battle between the boston bombing suspects and the
3:40 pm
police says he was terrified. but that didn't keep him from taking some remarkable pictures, even sharing the shootout on twitter. he spoke to our chief washington correspondent, and the anchor of "the lead," jake tapper. >> i'm standing in watertown, a nice beautiful neighborhood. laurel street. but this is the neighborhood where, in the early morning hours on friday, a shootout between the police, who were down there, and the tsarnaev brothers, who were right there, allegedly took place. you can still see the remnants of one of the bomb blasts as havoc was reeked on this street in the early-morning hours. and neighbors watched, especially one particular neighbor, in that house up there. >> cars were stopped right in front of that pole from here. it was roughly 75, 80 yards from here. >> reporter: andrew's normally tranquil suburban street erupted into a war zone. he started taking pictures from
3:41 pm
his iphone as the tsarnaev brothers were pinned down by police. he walked us through what he experienced that night. >> i can see the two shooters behind an suv. shooting down laurel street. as soon as i saw the two shooters, and saw that it was gunfire, i ran immediately up the stairs to my bedroom on the third floor. and i immediately -- when i got in the bedroom, i jumped on my bed, on my stomach, trying to stay below the windows, but then i also got my camera right up against the windows and glass, continuing to take photos of the shooters and what was happening right in front of my bedroom window. >> describe what you're seeing here. >> this was one of the first pictures i took. it was the two shooters that were taking cover behind the black suv. and will still engaging in gunfire and shooting down towards the watertown officers.
3:42 pm
>> that's the green sedan is where they had bombs, pipe bombs and explosives. >> yeah. they were bringing out backpacks. so i assumed that in those backpacks were additional ammunition and explosives. >> they were both firing? >> they were both firing, yeah. >> and did you see police on the street? >> yes. i could see all the way down laurel street and see the police vehicles at the end of the block there. >> what's going through your mind when you're taking these pictures? did you know these were the brothers that were wanted? >> not initially. when i first heard the gunshots, i had seen the reports about the m.i.t. shooting, and that something had happened there. so i saw gunfire. that's when i immediately -- that's what i immediately thought. i was live tweeting the event. using those hash tags, m.i.t. shooting. that's what i thought. >> you thought it was separate? >> i just wasn't thinking marathon. i didn't make a separation. it didn't come into my mind, until they started using
3:43 pm
explosives. and when they started using explosives, that's when i knew it was something much more significant. and pretty much knew who i was looking at. >> were you worried for your life? >> you know, at that moment, taking pictures, it was more so just a state of shock. i had a lot of adrenaline running through me. a combination of shock and curiosity and, absolutely, i was terrified. but i guess not enough to stop -- or to get away from the windows. after that larger explosion, and there was a smoke cloud in the street, one of the brothers ran towards the officers. >> the older brother? >> mm-hmm. and he was running down the street, still engaging gunfire. ran down the street. as he got closer to the officers, he was taken down. and as that happened, the second -- the younger brother got back into the suv, turned it around and then he started accelerating down the street.
3:44 pm
>> 4 1/2 days later, adrenaline is still running high on this street. after all, anything could have happened. at what point did the bullet go through your roommate's wall? and into his chair? >> i don't know. i didn't hear it come in. i was still up in my room. so i did not see when it came in. or didn't hear it. i took a picture kind of after the gunfire had stopped. >> a bullet was fired from that direction, where the police were, and it went through the second floor here, through his calendar, through his desk chair, and landed on the ground. thankfully not hitting any person. >> jake tapper reporting for us. thank you, jake. up next, another incredible interview. the mother of the two bombing suspects speaking to cnn. she keeps insisting her sons have been framed. ♪
3:45 pm
[ male announcer ] just when you thought you had experienced performance a new ride comes along and changes everything. the 2013 lexus gs. this is the pursuit of perfection. the 2013 lexus gs. ♪
3:46 pm
(train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.
3:47 pm
3:48 pm
we're going to hear for the first time from the owner of the boat where the 19-year-old suspect was found. but first, cnn's nick caught up with the mother of the suspects and found her extremely distraught. >> reporter: wolf, it's hard to imagine what the parents of the alleged boston bombers must have to be going through in terms of absorbing the allegations from the u.s. officials about not just one, but both of their sons. we caught up with the mother who described quite how intimate and
3:49 pm
close their relationship was with the deceased elder brother, tamerlan. she's struggling to absorb the heinous accusations against both her sons and the pressure on her for answers amid her grief. tell me how you feel about their positions against them? >> terrible. >> they were being killed just because they were muslims. nothing else. >> do you think they'll get a fair trial? >> what? >> do you think they'll get a fair trial? >> i don't know. >> reporter: earlier we phoned her and she spoke of her last call to her sons the day before the police shot dead tamerlan. what did they say to you? >> i love you, mama.
3:50 pm
>> reporter: for days, she thought it was mistaken identity, that the alleged dead bomber was not tamerlan. but last night she saw pictures of his body online and accepted his death. but not that either of her sons were the bombers. >> no. tamerlan was the most gentle, the most nicest, the most loving, the most loving boy. the most loving my boy. they killed him. they killed him. i see my son, i was not believing in it until i see body of my son right in front of me. he is killed really cruelly. you know what i think? i think now they will try make my dzhokhar guilty because they
3:51 pm
took away his voice, his ability to talk to the world. you know why they did that? they did it because -- because they did not want the truth to come out. okay? >> believing someone is framing her sons, she says she was meeting russian authorities on tuesday and now deeply distraught must confront a possible death sentence for dzhokhar. >> their protector is god, who is allah. the only one allah. okay? >> i understand. >> if they are going to kill him, i don't care. my oldest one has been killed so i don't care. i don't care if my youngest son is going to be killed today. so i want the world to hear this. and i don't care if i am going to get killed too. okay? and i will say, allah. that's what i am going to say
3:52 pm
are are now, they went on to describe how they were hoping to bury tamerlan in a mosque in massachusetts today or tomorrow. that's the sisters in the united states being responsible for that. all part of their process of trying to get their heads around exactly what their sons are accused of. there are suggestions from the father certainly that he wants to be in the united states as quickly as possible. the mother saying it wasn't quite clear to her when she would go. she was meeting russian authorities here today as well. so perhaps they will be in the united states soon. but with so much of this, it keeps changing for them every day as the process of coming to terms with the crimes that their sons are accused of slowly evolved. wolf? >> a powerful, powerful exchange, on the ground in dagestan reporting for us that
3:53 pm
the mother of the suspects is going through and people here in boston are going through at the same time. we'll stay in touch with nick and get more. we're also hearing from the suspect's sisters for the first time. they put out a statement through their lawyer saying "our heart goes out to the victims of last week's bombing. it saddens us to see so many hurt from a callous act. as a family, we are absolutely devastated by the sense of loss and sorrow that this has caused. we don't have any answers but look forward to a thorough investigation and hope to learn more. we ask the media to respect our privacy during this time. coming up, wounded war veterans offering some hope and inspiration to some of the bomb victims. [ female announcer ] pop in a whole new kind of clean with tide pods. just one pac has the stain removal power of 6 caps of the bargain brand.
3:54 pm
pop in. stand out. how old is the oldest person you've known? we gave people a sticker and had them show us. we learned a lot of us have known someone who's lived well into their 90s. and that's a great thing. but even though we're living longer, one thing that hasn't changed: the official retirement age. ♪ the question is how do you make sure you have the money you need to enjoy all of these years. ♪ to enjoy all of these years. hwelcome back.. nice to see you again! hey! i almost didn't recognize you without the suit. well, this is my weekend suit. weekend getaways just got better. well, enjoy your round! alright, thanks! save a ton on our best available rate when you book early and feel the hamptonality.
3:55 pm
peoi go to angie's listt for to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything
3:56 pm
from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact that i can go onto angie's list and look for pediatricians. the service providers that i've found on angie's list actually have blown me away. join today and find out why over 1 million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. let's get to the breaking news. he's been the unspoken hero until now. the man who found dzhokhar
3:57 pm
tsarnaev with our affiliate wcvb. >> i know people say, he went out to the boat and saw blood. >> not true? >> not true. >> reporter: now, the word is, you saw the boat, you pulled back the wrapping, you saw a body, it moved and you called 911? >> oh, no. no. no. >> reporter: no? >> no. >> reporter: he went to the garage and grabbed a step ladder. >> i went three steps up the roll ladder. i could see the sha rimrink wra. i didn't expect to see anything. i looked over here on the floor and i see blood and -- >> reporter: a lot of blood in. >> reporter: a good amount of blood. and then my eyes went to the engine box. there was a body. >> reporter: and at that moment
3:58 pm
what did you do? >> oh, my god. >> reporter: he couldn't see suspect number two's face. he was glad. >> i took three steps up the ladder. i don't remember stepping off the ladder. this hits you afterwards when you say, my god, we probably slept last night, this guy could be -- that -- you know, it's surreal. >> reporter: in that instance, police responded and he and his wife were taken away. >> people are calling you a national hero. >> if the people that were killed can get something from -- >> reporter: you know, in many ways, they do. >> then i'm at peace with it, you know. >> we want to thank wcvb ed harding for that excellent, excellent reporting. we want to especially thank the
3:59 pm
owner of that boat for doing what he did. there were some amputees that actually came over today to the hospital and spoke out. watch this. >> what's my life going to be like? is this it? am i going to be dependent? >> yeah. i can't do anything right now. >> right now, yes. but i'm telling you, with my all heart, you are going to be more independent than you ever were. >> i'm so glad to hear. i can't believe it's the same. >> we're the exact same. i'm actually four inches above the knee and i'm below the knee. but through the knee exactly the same thing. you actually have the advantage of being weight bearing a little more on the right side. but, you know, just so you know, there's so many -- this is basically the start. this is the new beginning for
4:00 pm
the both